Improvement in automatic seeders and fertilizers



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Automatic Seeders and Fertilizers. NO.149, ]69. Patent edMarch 31,1874.

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Automatic Seeders and Fertilizers. N0.T49,l69. Patented March31,18]4.

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UNITED STATES,

PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. TUXBURY AND GEORGE E. TUXBURY, OF SACO, MAINE.

IMPROVEMENT IN AUTOMATIC SEEDERS AND FERTILIZERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 149,169, dated March31, 1874; application filed December 23, 1873.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it knownvthat we, CHARLES H. TeX- BURY and-GEORGE E. TUXBURY, ofSaco, in the county of York, State of Maine, have invented a certain newand useful Improvement in Automatic Seeder and Fertilizer, of which thefollowing is a description sufficiently full, clear, and exact to enableany person skilled in the art orscience to which our inventionappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in whichFigure 1 is a plan or top view of our improved machine. Fig. 2 is acrosssection of the same, taken on a line through the center of theplow. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on a line throughthe seedstirrer. Fig. 4 is a View showing the auxiliary slides.

Like letters refer to like parts in the different figures of thedrawing.

. Our invent-ion relates to that classof seedplanters which are operatedby horse-power, and are adapted to planting or sowing seed anddistributing a fertilizer at the same time; and consists in a novelconstruction and arran gement of devices, as hereinafter more fully setforth, by which a very simple, inexpensive, and effective machine isproduced for the purposes stated.

4 In Fig. 1, A A are the shafts; B B, the wheels on which the sower issupported; Z, the main axle; (l, the seed-hopper; W, thefertilizer-hopper; D, the main driving-gear attached to the inner sideof the wheel B; E, the drivers seat; F, the whiffletree crossbar of theshafts or thills, G'Gr, a floating framework hinged to the under side ofsaid crossbar; H, the floating drag or coverer; I, the elevating oradjusting chain J, the seedstirrer provided with the teeth 0 c; N, astud or journal-box projecting from the axle Z, in which one end of theshaft J is disposed; (I, an aperture leading through the bottom of thehopper O, and d an aperture through the bottom of the hopper W. One endof the shaft or seed-stirrer is disposed in the stud or journal-box P,projecting from the axle Z, and is also provided with the spur-wheel Rand splined sliding clutch S. A loose pinion is also disposed on the endof said shaft, and so arranged as to intersect with the gear D, the

teeth of which project inwardly. A lever, T, extending above the hopperG, is pivoted to the stud W which projects from said hopper, the lowerend of said lever being jointed to the sliding bar U, and also providedwith a small spur or dog, which works in a groove on the face of theclutch S.

In Fig. 2, L is the bull-tongue or plow for opening or producing thefurrow, into which the seed and fertilizer fall through the mouth of thehopper or tunnel y. The plow is formed with a spade-shaped point, in theusual manner, and is fitted to slide in the grooved stud or support 2',projecting downward from the axle Z, its upper end being attached to thebar m, which extends across between and connects the sides of the frameG G, Fig. 1. The drag or covere'r H is concaved on its lower side, andforms the cross-bar at the lower end of the floating frame G G. Thechain I, for raising and lowering said frame, has one endfastened to thecoverer, and passes up over the hopper, being hitched to the pin itwithin easy reach of the drivers seat E. The sliding bar U is attached,by a laterally-projecting arm, to the slide V, disposed at the bottom ofthe hop pers O W, which slide operates said bar to open and close theapertures d d, Figs. 1 and 3. The slideVis provided with aperturescorresponding with the apertures d d, Figs. 1, 3, and 4, and also withsmall auxiliary slidesjj, for increasing and diminishing the size of theapertures in said slide, and whereby the quantity of seed and fertilizerto be sowed is deter mined. Immediately below the, hoppers O W, Fig. 3,at the rear of the main axle Z, and between said hoppers and the tunnely, there is a chamber, which we denominate the clearer) Passing throughthis chamber is a shaft, K, provided with the teeth a. a, the ends ofsaid shaft being supported in studs or journal-boxes projecting from theaxle Z, and one end thereof being provided with the gear A, whichintersects with the spurwheel It on the shaft J.

Across the lower part of said clearer or chamber there is a grated floorformed of Wires stretched laterally over the mouth of the tunnel y,between the bars of which grate the teeth a a pass as the shaft K isrevolved. These wires do not entirely cover the mouth of said tunnel,but there is an open space in the center of said floor for aboutone-third of its length. The teeth a a of the shaft K are of such alength and so arranged as not only to pass freely between the wires 1;b, but to come nearly into contact with the under side of the slide V inthe immediate vicinity of the apertures through said slide. The clutchS, Fig. 1, has its hub or shoulder, next the loose pinion Z, halved ordivided, said pinion being also provided with a hub or shoulder,extending toward the clutch S, halved or divided in acorrespondingmanner, so that when the clutch S is moved along its shaft, by means ofthe shipper or lever I, toward the wheel D, the divided hubs of theclutch and pinion will be interlocked in a way well understood by allpractical mechanics, the clutch being prevented from turning on theshaft J by an ordinary spline or any other suitable means.

It is well known to all acquainted with cotton-planting that it isexceedingly difficult to sow or plant cotton-seed on account of thehirsute or pubescent nature of the kernel of the seed, the wool on thesame tending to clog the mechanism and prevent an even distribution.This difficulty is entirely obviated in our improved fertilizer andseed-sower, which is more especially designed for that class of work,although adapted to various other kinds of plantin From the abovedescription the nature and operation of our invention will be readilyunderstood by all conversant with such matters.

The hopper 0 being filled with seed, and the hopper NV with fertilizer,the clutch S and pinion Z are caused to intersect by drawing or movingthe upper end of the shipper T toward the hopper G. The same movementalso withdraws the slide V, and opens the apertures d d, permitting theseed and fertilizer in the hoppers to fall through into theclearing-chamber described. Now, if the coverer H is lowered so as torest on the ground, and the sower is moved forward or propelled on itswheels B B, motion will be communicated, through the gear 1) and pinionZ, to the shaft J, and, through the spur-wheel it and gear A, to theshaft K. The teeth are of the stirrer are flat or rhomboidal in shape,and arranged around the shaft diagonally, in such a manner as to formsegments of the threads of right-and-left-hand screws in the hoppers Oand NV. By this construction and arrangement of the teeth 0 c, it willbe seen that the seed and fertilizer "will be not only thoroughlystirred and prevented from clogging in the hoppers as the shaft Jrevolves, but also constantly fed or pushed toward the apertures d (1,through which they will fall into the clearing-chamber, and thencethrough the tunnel y into the furrow made by the bulltongue L, wherethey will be covered and properly pressed down by the coverer H as themachine is drawn across the field. To prevent any clogging of the seedor fertilizer which may occur at the apertures d d, we provide theclearer K, having the teeth a a, as described. These teeth catch theseeds as they protrude through the aperture (1, and the lumps offertilizer as they are pushed through the aperture (1, and throw themupon the grating-bars b b, where they are separated by the action ofsaid teeth and bars, and finally fall through the wide central space insaid grating into the tunnel or educt-pipe y, and thence into thefurrow. It will be seen that when the floating frame G G, hinged to thecross-bar F, is raised by means of the chain I attached to the covereror drag H, the bull-tongue or plow L will also be elevated, beingattached or hinged to the crossbar m of said frame. By means of thisconstruction and arrangement theplow and coverer can be uniformlyadjusted to plow and cover to any desired depth at one operation.

When the machine is not in use, the frame G G should be elevated andsecured by the chain I, and the shipper T should be pushed toward thewheel B, disconnecting the sliding clutch S and pinion Z, which willalso move the bar U and slide V, and close the apertures 01 d, leavingthe wheels B B free to turn on the axle Z without communicating motionto the other parts of the machine, in which condition it can be drivento and from the field like any ordinary two-wheeled carriage.

We do not confine ourselves to using the hopper WV for planting afertilizer, as it may be used for seed when a fertilizer is notrequired. Neither do we confine ourselves in the use of the machinedescribed to plant-ing or sowing cotton-seed, as it is valuable for manyother purposes of a like nature.

lVe are also aware that seed-sowers in which a mechanism fordistributing or sowing a fertilizer is combined have been known and usedfor many years, and do not-claim the same, broadly; also, that many ofthe parts and devices in our improved machine are in common use, andtherefore do not claim such parts when in and of themselves considered,but

What we do claim is- 1. In an automatic seed-planter, the clutch S,pinion Z, sectional stirrer J, gear D, bar U, slide V, hoppers W and O,clearing-chamber, and shaft K, combined as and for the purposesspecified.

2. In an automatic seed-planter, the clearing-chamber provided with thetooth-shaft K, and having a grated floor with central opening, asdescribed, in combination with the hoppers W and O, slide V, and stirrerJ, substantially as specified.

3. In an automatic seed-planter, the grated floor described, providedwith a wide central opening in the grate, substantially as and for thepurpose specified.

CHARLES HILL'TUXBURY. GEORGE EDWIN TUXBURY. \Nitnesses:

DAVID TUXBURY, A. G. TUXBURY.

